Chicago Tribune's Sid Smith on Peter Martins and NYCB

[Dale]

Do we need another thread on the state of NYCB? Mmm..sure why not! This time, the Chicago Tribune's Sid Smith "jumps into the debate." (thanks to Mme. Hermine on the link)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/art...ack=1&cset=true

[bart]

Why not, indeed?

I had already posted this on the Chicago casting thread, but I wanted to reach as many people as possible with the following information contained in the article the article:

One piece of news is that Maria Tallchief will be honored at the opening night. She is quoted as saying:

QUOTE

No one is better than George Balanchine, who was music personified. The people who carry on his tradition are the most important people in the world.

About the Martins issue, the article does a great job, in my opinion, of summarizing both sides in the debate -- reporting intelligently, sensitively, and with no axes to grind.. The material at the end about 6 of the NYCB dancers going to Chicago is wonderful, too.

[Farrell Fan]

Peter Martins says that people who think Balanchine used to be danced better at NYCB are afflicted by nostalgia. Viewing a tape of himself and Suzanne Farrell in Apollo he also says that the Apollo isn't very interesting. Since he refrains from comment about Terpsichore, I'll let it go at that.

[drb]

... Viewing a tape of himself and Suzanne Farrell in Apollo he also says that the Apollo isn't very interesting. Since he refrains from comment about Terpsichore, I'll let it go at that.

I would say Peter Martins is absolutely right regarding their Apollo. Mr. Balanchine (especially in this trimmed down version) had cut out everything that was interesting, leaving only awe. And any comment on Suzanne's Terpsichore would be to limit the limitless.

[Klavier]

Has anyone linked to this article from the Chicago Sun-Times yet? It contains capsule descriptions of each ballet presented in Chicago by Peter Martins himself, and best of all, you don't have to register with the site to read the article!

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/weis...stage13.article

I bet no matter what kinds of carping one might hear about the current state of NYCB, they're going to be a big hit in the Windy City.

[drb]

I bet no matter what kinds of carping one might hear about the current state of NYCB, they're going to be a big hit in the Windy City.

I think you're right, well-selected rep and a lot of magnificent, and diverse, star dancers to discover. Also, it seems the media is doing its part to prepare the audience. One odd thing in Martins's description of the ballets: After the Rain is not being performed whole, just the PdD. Why, on a program meant to feature the post-Balanchine era of creativity, is the greatest of all those creations being cropped? It is a short ballet, after all.

[Helene]

Viewing a tape of himself and Suzanne Farrell in Apollo he also says that the Apollo isn't very interesting.

I think we've finally found a topic on which Mr. Martins and I agree

Seriously, I don't think that anyone's interpretation of the truncated version is particularly interesting. I've been revelling in d'Amboise's performance of the modified (for a cast of four) full version.

[carbro]

Well, I would take that a step further, Helene, and say that among many nice adjectives that could apply to Peter Martins, Dancer, "interesting" was never one of them. Clean, handsome, excellent partner -- absolutely! Bland, bland, and bland.

From his comments in the interview, he's learned a lot by just watching and teaching. I like the article a lot -- the Six to Look For whetted my appetite for the New York season! And the quotes by Edward Villella

Companies are a reflection of their artistic directors, and when Balanchine was alive, he had his own approach. You have to understand that Balanchine was a genius. Peter brought in his own manner and style, so naturally there would be changes and nuances.

and Daniel Duell

There are beloved fans of Helgi Tomasson's work (with the San Francisco Ballet), with Suzanne's, with others. . . . Each brings his own stamp. The breadth of Balanchine's vision goes beyond any single artist's ability to interpret it."

shone a little light on the phenomenon of dancers-turned-ADs stamping their personalities -- consciously or not -- on the companies. I have to give Martins credit for loosening the emotional reins on his dancers in more recent years.

[bart]

While we're quoting, here's Tallchief:

I'm so glad they're coming," says Chicagoan Maria Tallchief, George Balanchine's one-time wife and one of his greatest ballerinas, who'll be honored at Tuesday's opening. "No one is better than George Balanchine, who was music personified. The people who carry on his tradition are the most important people in the world.

Yes!

[KayDenmark]

I also enjoyed the interviews with the dancers at the end of the article, and thought it was significant that the older dancers had a much more thoughtful take on their lives and their art.

Can't believe Maria is 30! I always think of her as a young dancer, but I suppose she is mid-career.

[papeetepatrick]

Well, I would take that a step further, Helene, and say that among many nice adjectives that could apply to Peter Martins, Dancer, "interesting" was never one of them. Clean, handsome, excellent partner -- absolutely! Bland, bland, and bland.

I confess that I find it somewhat startling to describe Peter Martins, Dancer, as bland. I found him an extremely bold and magnificent dancer, not only in 'Apollo', but especially robust and fiery in 'Robert Schumann's Davidsbundlertanze' and also partnering Farrell in 'Tzigane.' Bold, magnificent and statuesque certainly equal 'interesting', at very least, to me. I think he is especially sensitive with Kay Mazzo in the film of 'Stravinsky Violin Concerto.' His son, Nilas, I definitely usually find bland, bland, and bland, although in 'Liebeslieder Walzer' last May I thought I saw more for once. In fact, I've seen lots of bland dancers at NYCB, but I never thought of PM as one of them.

[Farrell Fan]

I agree with papeete patrick about Peter Martins. He may have been bland in his first months with NYCB but once Balanchine accepted him and the partnership with Farrell got going, he was frequently thrilling. d'Amboise may have been a more "interesting" partner for Suzanne, but the Farrell-Martins team was the stuff of ballet legend. The fact that Martins is now apparently immune to its greatness is just the latest indication of his lack of good judgment.

[Jack Reed]

I'm with those who often found Martins a bland dancer - most recently in July when I had another look at his Tzigane video after seeing Natalia Magnicaballi and Momchil Mladenov dance it a few times in Suzanne Farrell's troupe. While Martins had shown the choreography large and clear, Mladenov, not quite so strong a classicist, had brought some welcome heat to it, as had Magnicaballi.

And Martins's remark about his Apollo with Farrell reminded me of something Farrell said at a talk one afternoon after we had seen her troupe perform a few times last summer. In response to a question about what it was like to pass on roles like, for example, Tzigane, she said, "I like Natalia Magnicaballi better than me." But this belongs on another thread; for now, I'll just say that there are lots worse things than blandness:

Last night, in the Harris Theatre here, Nikolaj Hubbe's first solo in the Gigue movement of Duo Concertant was unrecognisable to me, having seen Dancer Peter Martins show it so many times I can just about see it when I hear the music without the video running, and a young dancer friend I ran into at intermission, who had never seen the ballet before, said that watching Hubbe she had no idea what the role was supposed to be. But more of this on another thread, too, although, not to leave the wrong impression here, the rest was better than that.

Meanwhile, in line with Farrell Fan's speculation, watching Hubbe, I couldn't help but wonder what is in AD Peter Martins's mind?

Edited October 18, 2006 by Jack Reed

[bart]

I confess that I find it somewhat startling to describe Peter Martins, Dancer, as bland. I found him an extremely bold and magnificent dancer, not only in 'Apollo', but especially robust and fiery in 'Robert Schumann's Davidsbundlertanze' and also partnering Farrell in 'Tzigane.' Bold, magnificent and statuesque certainly equal 'interesting', at very least, to me.

It's fascinating how each of our memories is so personal and different.

I would say: Big, certainly. Strong, definitely. A real presence. But the large head and impassive eyes and face may have encouraged those of us who found him -- rather than "bland" -- to be something of an emotional vacume.

[kfw]

I would say: Big, certainly. Strong, definitely. A real presence. But the large head and impassive eyes and face may have encouraged those of us who found him -- rather than "bland" -- to be something of an emotional vacume.

Very nicely put, Bart. It seems sometimes there's a fine line between noble and inert -- hah!

I only saw Martins as James in La Sylphide, but as I've watched him dance Balanchine on video in recent years, I've been losing interest. As Apollo, D'Amboise is, in contrast, refreshingly dynamic.

[Farrell Fan]

As far as Martins in "Tzigane," I always viewed his role and that of the corps as afterthoughts.

[Helene]

As far as Martins in "Tzigane," I always viewed his role and that of the corps as afterthoughts.

In his memoir, Martins wrote that Tzigane was not supposed to have any men in it and described how he begged Balanchine to be in it. (If I'm remembering correctly, he offered to sweep the stage in back of the corps to be in it.)

[dirac]

In his memoir, Martins wrote that Tzigane was not supposed to have any men in it and described how he begged Balanchine to be in it. (If I'm remembering correctly, he offered to sweep the stage in back of the corps to be in it.)

Arlene Croce referred back to that incident when she reviewed Ib Andersen, who took over the role for Martins late in the latter's performing career. She also mentioned the diminished effect of the part with the casting change, and commented on the force and conviction it took for Martins to assert himself in a ballet made primarily for Farrell. (Going by the video, he’s by no means an afterthought. Farrell could carry the piece alone, sure, but the conclusion is the more effective for his presence. She benefits too, IMO.)